My wife and I have a young son named Ivan. He is 14 months old. Ivan is very concerned that parents do right by their children (he is especially worried about my parenting skills). Ivan has decided to help out new parents by issuing a regular newsletter called: #TeamIvan’s: News From The Crib (#75) – Educational Television.
1. My husband and I have a 14-month old son, and we know at some point he’ll watch t.v., so we want to make sure it’s educational TV. What do you suggest? Sesame Street, of course. Fox News too. It will show him how lying makes your hair turn blonde.
2. Can educational TV only be found on PBS? Not under a Romney Administration it can’t.
3. Is it really true that Romney would end federal funding for PBS? Yes, except he will exempt Oscar the Grouch, who will be saved because he is green like money and grouchy like Mitch McConnell. Kermit is green like money, but he is too nice and thus will be allowed to go bankrupt, much like Romney wanted to allow Detroit to go bankrupt.
4. I’ve heard some say that PBS has a liberal bias. Is that true? Some say? Which “some?” Republicans on the Hill who know that ending funding for PBS would pay for one more fighter plane and a tax cut for an undecided voter.
5. With respect to educational TV, when is it okay to show kids things that are graphic? You mean like the state of your bank account?
6. Seriously, what is too graphic for kids to watch? You mean besides real life?
7. How dangerous is the radiation from TVs? It’s nothing compared to how toxic the programming is.
8. Does TV have any role to play in a child’s upbringing? Yes, absolutely, someone has to train your child how to become a couch potato with Type II Diabetes.
9. Would you consider the news educational programming? Depends. If that news is leading to Tweets that say “#awesome” or “#chicksdigthis” then it probably is not.
10. How much TV per day is it okay for a child to watch. It depends. How much do you want to abdicate your responsibility as parent?
Alex Barnett is a comedian-writer based in New York City. He writes News from the Crib, a parenting blog about his experiences as a new father. Barnett has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNN.com and NYC-TV, and has performed at clubs, colleges and venues throughout the country. Barnett, a winner of the 12th Annual Gilda’s Club Laugh-Off, is a member Comedians at Law, a group of six comics who all left the law to pursue their dream. Fans can visit him at www.alexbarnettcomic.com, find him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.
